In the book Nickle and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, Dr. Ehrenreich a writer decides over an expensive meal with one of her editors to try to survive with a series of lower wage jobs.
Ehrenreich wrote the book in the late 1990’s as Congress was passing legislation to push people off the welfare rolls and getting them back to work. Along the journey, Ehrenreich encounters other women who are in the similar situations as the one she has placed herself into. Dr. Ehrenreich succeeds in her goal of being able to survive on her lower wages but learns that she must put in long hours to be able to achieve these goals. The first job that Ehrenreich obtains is as a waitress in Key West, FL, which is not far from her home. …show more content…
Ehrenreich chose Maine because it has a large white English speaking population and most of the lower income jobs are filled by whites. While working for the cleaning company Ehrenreich is placed on a team that cleans homes of the more well-off inhabitants of the area. It is backbreaking work and Ehrenreich is proud that she can keep up with her younger co-workers but comes to the realization that she may be able to keep up physically because she was raised with a more balanced diet and access to adequate health care growing up. Ehrenreich intended to seek more gainful employment after taking the maids job but finds herself both exhausted and overworked by the end of the day to seek out such employment plus as she points out her days do not end at the stated time but are extended by up to two hours. Ehrenreich develops a rash because of the cleaning solutions she believes and when she seeks out medical assistance is startled to find that most of the cheap medical facilities only have open hours during working hours which is difficult for a lower-wage worker to be able to get away from their job to seek a physician. Ehrenreich also discovers that most relief agencies close before most of the working poor can get to them, “Is there help for the hardworking poor? Yes, but it takes a determined and not too terribly poor person to find it”, she continues “…call the Pebles Street …show more content…
Ehrenreich after some research decides that the pay to rent ratio is advantageous in Minnesota and decides to try working in retail. Ehrenreich applies at two large mid-western retailers and after going through a rigorous application process is hired by both with one retailer promising wages of $10.00 per hour which turns out to be untrue. Minnesota does not turn out to be Shangri-La as Ehrenreich discovers that the rent turns out to be much higher than she anticipated. The other point that annoys Ehrenreich is employers that depend on the use of drug tests for applicants, she explains her feelings “It rankles—at some deep personal, physical level, to know that the many engaging qualities I believe I have to offer—friendliness, reliability, willingness to learn—can all be trumped by my pee.” (Ehrenreich 2001 127-128). Ehrenreich sees the drug test as a way of employers gaining an upper hand on new prospective employees, “The drug test tilts the playing field even further, establishing that you, and not the employer, are the one who has something to prove.” (Ehrenreich 2001 149-150). I understand how Ehrenreich feels along these lines, I have never had to take a drug test for employment but while incarcerated and during probation the authorities hang the possibility of punishment or a return to prison over your head like the Sword of Damocles waiting to crash your entire world if you happen to take one toke of a joint, and
Ehrenreich wrote the book in the late 1990’s as Congress was passing legislation to push people off the welfare rolls and getting them back to work. Along the journey, Ehrenreich encounters other women who are in the similar situations as the one she has placed herself into. Dr. Ehrenreich succeeds in her goal of being able to survive on her lower wages but learns that she must put in long hours to be able to achieve these goals. The first job that Ehrenreich obtains is as a waitress in Key West, FL, which is not far from her home. …show more content…
Ehrenreich chose Maine because it has a large white English speaking population and most of the lower income jobs are filled by whites. While working for the cleaning company Ehrenreich is placed on a team that cleans homes of the more well-off inhabitants of the area. It is backbreaking work and Ehrenreich is proud that she can keep up with her younger co-workers but comes to the realization that she may be able to keep up physically because she was raised with a more balanced diet and access to adequate health care growing up. Ehrenreich intended to seek more gainful employment after taking the maids job but finds herself both exhausted and overworked by the end of the day to seek out such employment plus as she points out her days do not end at the stated time but are extended by up to two hours. Ehrenreich develops a rash because of the cleaning solutions she believes and when she seeks out medical assistance is startled to find that most of the cheap medical facilities only have open hours during working hours which is difficult for a lower-wage worker to be able to get away from their job to seek a physician. Ehrenreich also discovers that most relief agencies close before most of the working poor can get to them, “Is there help for the hardworking poor? Yes, but it takes a determined and not too terribly poor person to find it”, she continues “…call the Pebles Street …show more content…
Ehrenreich after some research decides that the pay to rent ratio is advantageous in Minnesota and decides to try working in retail. Ehrenreich applies at two large mid-western retailers and after going through a rigorous application process is hired by both with one retailer promising wages of $10.00 per hour which turns out to be untrue. Minnesota does not turn out to be Shangri-La as Ehrenreich discovers that the rent turns out to be much higher than she anticipated. The other point that annoys Ehrenreich is employers that depend on the use of drug tests for applicants, she explains her feelings “It rankles—at some deep personal, physical level, to know that the many engaging qualities I believe I have to offer—friendliness, reliability, willingness to learn—can all be trumped by my pee.” (Ehrenreich 2001 127-128). Ehrenreich sees the drug test as a way of employers gaining an upper hand on new prospective employees, “The drug test tilts the playing field even further, establishing that you, and not the employer, are the one who has something to prove.” (Ehrenreich 2001 149-150). I understand how Ehrenreich feels along these lines, I have never had to take a drug test for employment but while incarcerated and during probation the authorities hang the possibility of punishment or a return to prison over your head like the Sword of Damocles waiting to crash your entire world if you happen to take one toke of a joint, and